Chapter Ten

Tania was scared, more than she had ever been in her life. Everything was happening too fast, and she’d lost control some time ago. Riley was a force of nature. Now that he was unleashed in her life, there was no way that she could stop him. He was in her life, in her heart, and in her mind. What the hell was she supposed to do about him?

 

Initially, she convinced herself that it was all sexual, and for a while, that was true. They shared a chemistry that was off the charts. She couldn’t get enough of him, and the same was true for him but now she was afraid that their relationship was moving in a direction for which she wasn’t prepared.

 

She liked him. Damn it! Like was too soft a word. She was fairly in love with him. Since Tania never felt like this with such intensity about anymore ever before, she didn’t know what the hell to do about this. Her last serious relationship was five years ago. Since then, she had fun with men but then she discarded them or else they parted ways when they both had their fill. But Riley wasn’t going anywhere, and she didn’t want him to.

 

When did this strange attraction turn into something serious? She didn’t know. It was hard to get a grip on the exact chain of events that now led them to this point. This was crazy. It was madness and, yet, she loved it. If he went away now, she would be devastated.

 

No! She wasn’t that weak. She wasn’t going to fall apart when he left her. But why would he do so? He appeared as content as her. Surely, he was also plagued by the same thoughts and feelings, but she didn’t know for sure because they never talked about it. Maybe it was time to discuss their future.

 

It was a scary thought. What would she say? What if he told her that he didn’t want anything permanent, that he wasn’t even thinking along those lines? He might even laugh at her. After all, they did tell each other that it was just for fun. How could she change her mind and then expect him to do the same?

 

She was almost in love with him. It was a scary thing to admit, but she didn’t have a choice but to accept it in her heart. Did he feel the same way? She didn’t have any way of knowing unless she asked him. But how could she do that? Could she at all?

 

As she agonized over this decision, she was startled when her intercom rang. She was sitting in the office, and much to her disgust, she had spent the last fifteen minutes thinking about Riley. What was wrong with her? Maybe this was some kind of a chemical imbalance and she needed to see a doctor to correct it.

 

She picked up the phone. “Hello?”

 

“Tania, I want to see you now,” said Brin’s loud, clear voice. “Now.”

 

She put down the phone, stood, and straightened her dress. Brin wasn’t one of the most patient men she ever met, but he never quite used that tone with her before. Something was wrong. A strange fear slithered up her spine. Surely, this couldn’t be about that warehouse. It wasn’t her fault that Xavier backed off from the deal. The fact that he hadn’t picked up her phone or returned her calls meant he didn’t want to sell it, or, perhaps, the owners changed their mind. Whatever the reason, she couldn’t be blamed for it. These things happened. If he sold the warehouse to Riley, however, then she would be in shit load of trouble.

 

But of course, if the deal was going through, Riley would have told her. He wouldn’t have kept her in the dark. He promised her, and she expected him to keep his word. He was a man of honor. She trusted him.

 

She marched towards Brin’s office. Seeing her, the secretary waved. “Hi, Tania. How is it going?”

 

She grimaced. “Not good, I think. I’ve been summoned.”

 

Rosy shuddered. “Oh dear. He has been in a bad mood for over an hour ever since he got a call from someone. Don’t know what the matter is. Good luck, dear.”

 

Tania sucked in a deep breath of air to gather her courage and then knocked on the door.

 

“Come in,” he barked. She entered and came to a stop beside his desk. He glowered at her. A thin man, he had dark circles under his eyes and boasted a permanent sneer. “Tania, what the hell went wrong?”

 

He didn’t even ask her to sit. She wondered if she should take a seat but then decided against it. If he was already pissed she didn’t want to make him more so. “I don’t understand.”

 

“Of course, you don’t.” He grimaced. “This is extremely unprofessional. In our line of work, you have to be competitive. You can’t let people make a fool of you. What happened with the warehouse deal is totally unforgivable.”

 

Panic slithered up her spine. “What happened?”

 

He raised his eyebrows. “You mean that you really have no idea?”

 

Tania took a seat. Whatever the news was, it was bound to be bad and she didn’t think that she could handle it well. Had Riley betrayed her? No. It couldn’t possibly be. She wasn’t ready to believe it. “I don’t know.”

 

He glared at her, and then finally leaned back. “I’ve heard from another source that the owners of the warehouse have signed the papers three days ago. It has been sold to someone.”

 

“Who?”

 

“I don’t know and, frankly, I don’t care. What matters is that we didn’t get it. I was counting on you, Tania. This was important. This client is very important to us and now they are going to be disappointed. I’d assured them you were on top of things, and now I find out that not only has the property gone to someone else, but you didn’t even know about it,” he said in a disgusted voice.

 

Tania didn’t know what to say. How this could have happened? It felt like a bad dream, a nightmare really. Surely, this wasn’t possible. Had Riley actually signed the papers and didn’t tell her about it? His betrayal cut deep in her heart. She hadn’t expected this, especially when she was having such deep thoughts about him and their relationship. How could she have allowed him to suck her into this vortex of lies?

 

“I will get to the bottom of this,” she told Brin.

 

He sneered. “There is no need to do it. What’s the point? We’ve already lost the deal. Anything you do now wouldn’t serve us or our client.” He took a deep breath. “I am actually more than disappointed, Tania. I’d thought that you would be able to handle this; otherwise, I wouldn’t have handed over such an important client to you. You begged me to give this to you and, since your record was good, I complied…but I expected results.”

 

And she didn’t deliver. Yes, she failed. Tania licked her lips. “So what are we going to do now?”

 

“We?” He raised an eyebrow. Leaning back, he surveyed her for what seemed like the longest time. “I am sorry, Tania, but I have to do something to appease the client. That’s one of our most important corporations and I can’t let them slide out of my hands. I’ve built this firm with a great deal of hard work and grit, and I can’t suffer just because you failed to perform.”

 

“Give me another chance,” she pleaded. She didn’t want to hear what he had to say. Tania thought she knew where this was going. He’d warned her enough times before. There was plenty riding on this deal, and she’d known that. Her promotion and even her job security; how could she have risked it all for a man? She trusted him and he betrayed her. Of course, he’d know that this was going on. How could he not have?

 

Well, he was the one who screwed up. And now maybe he could set things right. She would tell him to back out, to cancel the deal. Would he listen to her? She didn’t know, but she was willing to try.

 

“What will you do?” asked Brin.

 

“I can…maybe the deal isn’t finalized. They could cancel.”

 

Brin tapped his fingers on the desk. “They won’t, Tania. Don’t be absurd. Do you just intend to march up to the new owners and tell them to get out because you want it more? Don’t be silly.”

 

She was clutching at straws now, anything to save her job. “I could find some other property. There are some great deals available at amazing locations and the client could really benefit from them.”

 

“The client wanted that property and you didn’t get it. Anything else would be an insult. In any case, I’ve got other people who can get it from them.”

 

He didn’t need her. She’d outlived her usefulness. Tania felt terrible. Not only was she aware that this was her fault, that she had failed, but also that she did so because she was careless. She made the mistake of trusting a man who intended to make a fool of her from the first day. It was stupid of her. She shouldn’t have gotten involved with him, and she should not have entrusted him with her heart..

 

She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the worst. It hadn’t taken her long to climb the corporate ladder but it took her even less to fall right down to the bottom. “What’s going to happen now?”

 

He put his hands on the table. “I wish I didn’t have to do this. You’re a good employee and this is your first mistake, but, unfortunately, as I said before, I have appease the client. I have to let you go.”

 

She closed her eyes for a moment. Tania felt the tears prick but she didn’t want to cry in front of him. She opened her eyes. “Brin, please.”

 

“I’ve prepared your termination letter and a reference letter, which I shouldn’t really give under the circumstances, but I don’t want you to be out on the streets.” He passed her a thick, white envelope. “With luck, you will find another job. Of course, given that you failed to perform, I am sure you will understand that I can’t give you the usual severance package. Please vacate your office in one hour. Take care, Tania, and goodbye,” he said in a hard voice.

 

She hated it. She hated him. But the man who deserved all this hatred was far away. There was nothing more to say. Brin wasn’t going to change his mind and it was below her dignity to beg more. She stood. “Bye.”

 

Outside, she glanced at his assistant but Tania didn’t have the courage to talk. She was out of her job. This was her last time in the office. She went straight to her room. There was already a security guard waiting there for her. Obviously, Brin didn’t leave anything to chance. The guard had put a box on the table. She picked up her belongings and put them inside. Someone peeped inside the room to see what was going on, but she didn’t bother to look up. She wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone. This was the most humiliating experience of her life, and the man who led her to the point was going to pay with his blood for his betrayal.

 

After she left the office, Tania took a cab to his apartment. She intended to rip into him the moment she saw him. When she rang the bell, she was prepared to do battle. He would have to back out of the deal and give the property to her. Only then she could win back her job. No one answered. She rang again. Still, no response. Was he hiding inside? Or, perhaps, he wasn’t home.

 

Finally, she was convinced that he wasn’t inside. She rang his cell but he didn’t pick up. Maybe he was deliberately avoiding her. Not sure as to what she could do, Tania went home. Riley wasn’t there. She didn’t quite know where to find him. Should she wait for him to arrive back here? Would he do so now that the deal was done? Perhaps he already knew that her boss would find out and hence wouldn’t bother to show up. Did he sleep with her just so he could distract her until he got all the papers signed?

 

Tania called his phone again. He didn’t pick up. Had he served all contact with her already? She tried again. Much to her surprise, he picked up. “Tania? Hi. What’s going on?”

 

“Why don’t you tell me?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

He was pretending as if he didn’t have a clue that he ruined her life. Well, two could play at this game. She wasn’t a complete novice. With an effort, she curbed her temper. “Where are you, Riley? We need to talk.”

 

“I am meeting someone right now. Why don’t I see you later? How about I drop by your office?”

 

The nerve of him! She wanted to shout at him, to tell him that she didn’t have an office now, thanks to him. But she didn’t want to scare him away. If he left, she would never know as to why he deceived her. No. She needed to lure him in. “I am at home, actually. Come back here.”

 

“Are you feeling well? Why are you home?” The concern in his voice grated on her nerves. He was still pretending as if they were one happy couple. Didn’t he have any shame?

 

“I am okay,” she managed to cough out the words. “Bye.”

 

Tania paced the room. Was he telling her the truth? Did he actually intend to meet someone or was he planning to sneak away so that she never found him? Tania went inside her bathroom. His things were still there: the aftershave, the bottle of cologne that he favored, and even his night suit. Either he didn’t know that she would find out so quickly or, perhaps, he thought that he would be able to wind her around his finger and convince her that this was for the best.

 

Maybe he would just say sorry and move on. Perhaps he never intended to come to her house. She was confused, conflicted. Should she wait for him or go after him? Tania made up her mind. She would find him. Where was he? Most likely, he was at the warehouse, probably gloating about everything with his friends or his business associates. The man was a monster. He was probably laughing with them about it. She called a cab and told the driver to take her to the warehouse.

 

When she reached there, the place was empty, deserted. She bit her lip as she looked at the dream property she’d thought she would be able to get with such ease. It didn’t seem so long ago that she thought to make a success out of her career by purchasing this for the client, and now it had cost her the job.

 

No, that was Riley’s work. He was the one responsible it. Tania went to the gate. It was locked. The keys had probably already been handed over to the new owners. She hated it. It was humiliating to lose, but it was depressing to do it because someone fooled her.

 

She turned around and much to her astonishment, he was parking his bike not too far away. She strode forward. “What the hell was this about?”

 

His color paled. She saw the emotions that coiled in his eyes and knew that he thinking of a story to tell her. “Tania, what are you doing here?”

 

She wanted to punch him. “I should ask you the same thing. What are you doing? Inspecting your new property? Came to see if everything looks great for the new owners? You bastard.”

 

“You know? How? I only just found out right now during my meeting. The guy who handles the finance of our company told me that he’d already sighed the deal. I was taken aback.”

 

“Liar,” she spat out the word. He took a careful step forward towards her. How could she have thought that he was handsome? How could she have imagined that he had a good heart? What made her think that she loved him? He wasn’t the man she thought he was. Who was he? Was everything a lie? Did she even know the man she gave her body to? She hated that she’d allowed him to put his hands on her. If only she could wipe away the last few weeks. Once she’d thought that they were the best time of her life, but now it was obvious that they were a BIG FAT LIE.

 

“I am not lying,” he pleaded. “Please believe me. I didn’t know.”

 

“How can that be so? You were the one talking to Xavier.”

 

“He stopped talking to me. I was afraid that the deal fell through, but then I met Charlie and he told me that it was still going on,” he said.

 

She didn’t believe a word he said. “So you had some inkling that it was going down that way but you didn’t tell me anything.”

 

He walked closer, looking desperate. “Tania, I love you. I really do. I didn’t want to keep you in the dark, but I didn’t have anything to go on. There were only doubts that something wasn’t right, but then…how could I have told you when I didn’t know anything myself?”

 

She crossed her arms over her chest. How long would he continue to lie? Love? He didn’t even know the meaning of that word. Once she would have been blissfully happy to hear him say that, but, now, all she could think about was that she was stupid to have given him her body and heart. She was so close to being in love with him. She’d harbored such silly notions, but now it all fell apart. “I hate you.”

 

“Don’t say that, please.” He took another few steps forward until they stood right opposite each other.

 

She wanted to claw out his eyes, but she kept a rigid control on her hands. She was already in enough trouble, and there was no way she was adding assault to it. Also, she didn’t believe in violence. It wasn’t a solution. In this situation, there was no solution. The damage was done, and she would have to live with it. “We’re finished, Riley.” The words hut her. The pain was almost physical. She actually felt as if her heart broke inside her chest. Having never suffered so much after a break up, she wasn’t prepared to deal with so much anguish. This was hell. This was torment. She wanted to never see him again but yet the thought of not gazing at his beautiful face filled her with an ache.“Over. Forever. Goodbye.”

 

She attempted to walk past him, but he grabbed her hand. “Don’t do this, Tania. Trust me. I’m going to get to the bottom of this mystery. There is something fishy going on in my organization. They haven’t told me anything. I’ve to figure out what they are hiding, and I am going to need your help to do so.”

 

She attempted to shrug out of his grip. Why the hell would she help him? She didn’t even believe him. He was merely spinning silly stories now to befuddle her. “You are crazy.”

 

He didn’t let go. “Please. I am crazy about you. I love you. This wasn’t meant to happen. There is more to this story and even I don’t know the half of it. Together we can find out.”

 

She didn’t have any idea as to what he was saying but she didn’t want to listen to his lies anymore. “You’ll have to do it alone. I’ve got other things to do, such as finding a new job.”

 

He looked aghast. “You lost your job?”

 

“I did, yes.” She lifted her chin high. No way was she going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he broke her. “But don’t worry about me, Riley. I am going to bounce back. No one can keep me down for long. Worry about yourself and your soul, because that needs a lot of work.”

 

He let go of her arm. “I am so sorry, Tania. I didn’t know. Believe me, I didn’t know.” She couldn’t – dared not – trust a word that he uttered. He was snake, a low life, and he wanted her back in his bed because maybe he had a good time there, but he certainly didn’t harbor any real feelings for her. She was done with him. “I love you,” he said again.

 

The control that she maintained for so long slipped fast. How dare he make a mockery of their relationship? Did he think she was so stupid that she would fall under his spell again? In a corner of her mind, a new noise registered. It was a sharp click followed by a strange humming sound. Since she was upset, Tania didn’t even bother to glance around to see where it originated from.

 

“Don’t say those words to me. I don’t want to see you ever again,” she shrieked.

 

“But I can’t live without you,” he said.

 

She sneered. The anger, the hatred, that was roiling in her veins spilled forth so that she was enveloped in a strong fountain of emotions. She was angry. Tania had never been so enraged in her life. No one ever hurt her quite like this. He could say these words to her a hundred times but she would never be able to believe him because he didn’t mean them. If he meant them, he wouldn’t have done what he did. Love meant sacrifice. Love was commitment. He didn’t possess those qualities. He was far from her ideal man. How could she have ever thought that she would be happy with him? It was her mistake. And she would never make such an error again.

 

She laughed. The sound echoed in the silence of the place. It was as if they were the only two people in this world. No one else existed or mattered. “If you can’t live without me, Riley, then, perhaps, you should die…because in this life, you are never going to get me ever again.”

 

With those words, the world exploded. Since she faced the warehouse, she saw the red hot flames and the huge fountain of fire that erupted. She couldn’t believe what she saw. It was unreal. In movies, this looked amazing, but in real life, it made her freeze. She couldn’t think, couldn’t move. She was stuck on the spot. The sound was deafening. Crash. Boom. Sizzle. And the heat was intense. She screamed.

 

Her gaze shifted to Riley and, much to her surprise, he was flying towards her. He lunged forward and when she fell on the hard ground, he was on top of her. Something whizzed past his head, maybe some kind of a metal sheet that was blown away by the explosion.

 

“Stay down. Down!” he yelled.

 

Those were the last words she heard. Her only thought was that he was trying to protect her. At this time when he should have been thinking of saving his life, he covered her body with his so that she wouldn’t get hurt. A man who meant to deceive her wouldn’t have done it. Maybe he did love her. It was now too late. Everything was ruined. Everything went black. It was the end – and now maybe she would find some peace.